Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Through Fire And Water: The Exodus Of The Gondothlim, Ethan Danner

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Despite being one of the earliest Middle-earth texts and a central component of the legendarium, J.R.R. Tolkien's Fall of Gondolin has received far less attention than the tale deserves. Building upon the works of David Greenman, Bruce Alexander, and Austin Freeman and their studies comparing The Fall of Gondolin to Virgil's Aeneid as well as Tom Shippey's monograph, The Road to Middle-earth, this article seeks to expand current scholarship surrounding The Fall of Gondolin by the examination of Exodus, as both a Medieval and religious text, as a potential source for the narrative structure, characters, and themes found …

Christian Humanism In Flannery O'Connor's "Wise Blood", Grant Ward

The Criterion

No abstract provided.

No Mere Materialism: The Revelatory Nature Of Death In C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy, Laurel Wood

Global Tides

This paper explores the role which death plays in the narrative of C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy. During the time of the trilogy’s composition, materialist philosophy was becoming increasingly popular in the Western world as individuals looked to science as the source of absolute truth. As a former materialist, Lewis was alarmed by this development and confronted materialist ideology in numerous fiction and non-fiction works.

Blending textual evidence from the trilogy with scholarly commentary, this paper demonstrates that Lewis uses death, particularly the fear of annihilation and the afterlife which it evokes, to bypass materialist assertions of the atheistic nature of …

The Stolen Gift: Tolkien And The Problem Of Suicide, Martin Lockerd

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

The treatment of suicide in Tolkien’s narratives about Middle-earth—a topic surprisingly neglected by critics—helps to clarify one aspect of the relationship between Tolkien’s secondary world and his distinctly Christian view of primary reality. His writings capture the tragic pathos of self-destruction while developing and unfolding a larger, competing ethos of self-sacrifice and service to life. In order to explain the development of this life-affirming ethic, I begin by considering the paradoxical nature of death in Tolkien’s mythology as the “gift” of a benevolent creator. Next, I analyze prominent examples of suicide in The Silmarillion and the early legendarium more broadly. …

Covenant Orthopraxy And Shakespeare's Idea Of The Nation, Mary Jo Kietzman

Selected Papers of the Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference

No abstract provided.

Review Of Eighteenth-Century Women’S Writing And The Methodist Media Revolution, By Andrew O. Winckles, Rebecca Nesvet

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830

No abstract provided.

To Early Modern Catholic Lay People, Jacob Blewitt

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

My process for writing this essay was rather simple, albeit grueling. I read and reread Martin Luther's To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation many times in order to fully understand his message. Then, I wrote an outline of his work so that I could summarize it accurately. After completing my summary, I began to analyze Luther's main points to develop my own position on the subject, which I then wrote about. This, however, was just the beginning of my process. Under the guidance of my instructor, Dr. Mackay, I revised and tweaked my paper over and over again …

Harry Potter As A Piece Of Apocalyptic Fiction, Cambria Findley-Grubb

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series remains one of the most popular series ever created, loved by adults and children alike. The Harry Potter series has been translated into over thirty languages in more than one hundred and thirty countries (Killinger 2). This series has spawned a billion dollar industry eight movies, merchandise including shirts, cloaks, wands, and bobble heads, an intercollegiate muggle quidditch league, and a multimillion-dollar amusement park attraction However, despite its increasing popularity and fandom, Harry Potter remains a highly controversial book among fundamentalist religious groups because of its involvement in the world of witches, wizards, and magic. …

Beautifully Damned: Imagination, Revelation, And Exile In Coleridge's "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" And Byron's Cain: A Mystery, Matt Slykhuis

Religion in the Age of Enlightenment

Abrief survey of the eighteenth-century debates regarding the compatibility of reason and religion reveals the development of two powerful-and polarized-theological trends. The first is what I refer to as the "de-supernaturalization" of Christianity. This movement was evinced among rationalists who desired to remain connected to England's religious past and to retain the unifying influence of their society's most vital "myth" (i.e., Christianity) but who also felt a strong impetus to rid the faith of its "irrational" supernatural elements (e.g., belief in miracles, the soul, and the inspiration of Scripture). The second trend, what I call "re-supernaturalization;' occurred later in the …

Irish Clergy And The Deist Controversy: Two Episodes In The Early British Enlightenment, Scott Breuninger

Religion in the Age of Enlightenment

D uring the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, an important question facing Anglican divines was the relationship between reason and religion. Initiated by the publication of John Toland's Christianity Not Mysterious (1696), the controversy concerning deism raged across both sides of the Irish Sea and called into question the sanctity of revealed religion, forcing believers to articulate more "rational" defenses of Christianity. Closely associated with the problematic origins of the "English Enlightenment;' Toland's provocative tract valorized reason in matters of religion and drew heavily upon the ideas of natural philosophy. Although viciously attacked for its heretical tenets, Toland's position …

The Presence Of Divine Providence In The Absence Of “God”: The Role Of Providence, Fate, And Free Will In Tolkien Mythology, Christin Ivey

The Corinthian

Close examination of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic mythologically driven Faerie literature reveals an implicit allusion to Christian theology, undoubtedly deriving from Tolkien’s devote practice of Roman Catholicism. However, unlike his friend and counterpart C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien insisted on distancing his faerie mythos from any explicit Christian allegorical connotations. Yet theological themes regarding divine providence, fate, chance and free will consistently manifest within Tolkien’s literature, notably in The Silmarillion and his epic trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. In order to assimilate theology and mythology in a more universal manner, Tolkien turned to Boethius’s philosophy regarding the role of providence, …

Shock Therapy Salvation, Margaret Moody

The Corinthian

Flannery O'Connor saw mankind as consumed with self-righteous disposition and self-preoccupation, making it necessary to use powerful and graphic descriptions to capture the average individual's attention. She was a writer with a mission: a mission that demanded the undivided attention of her readers. She was adamant in her determination to reach what she saw as a lost and morally decaying world. Mindful of the intense changes taking place in America during the late 1950's and early 1960's-feminist movements, the Beatles, and free love, to name a few-she saw the secular world as presenting many obstacles to living a spiritual life. …

Orthodoxy And Allusions In "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", Conley Greer

The Corinthian

The confrontation between the grandmother and the Misfit may provide the moment of grace, but the Biblical allusions throughout the story certainly merit just as much analysis. Flannery O'Connor uses scriptural allusions throughout "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" to invoke her orthodox critique of a society seething with nominal Christians not fulfilling the requirements of the Bible. By examining these allusions, O'Connor's message becomes much clearer.

The Atheistic Influences Of The Christian Apologist, Eric Mcglaughlin

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

C.S. Lewis, though considered a great apologist for the Christian faith, did not become a Christian until the age of thirty-one. The many years spent as an atheist not only influenced his writings after his conversion, but allowed him to become a great apologist.

A Chestertonian Approach To Humor, Robert Moore-Jumonville

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

As a journalist, G.K. Chesterton used his humor to engage intellectual opponents who might not have otherwise listened. Borrowing from Chesterton’s tone and manner, this paper explores the role of humor in the realms of life, academics and faith as seen in Chesterton’s own writing.

Wordsmiths As Warriors: The Intellectual Honesty Of G.K. Chesterton And C.S. Lewis, Daryl Charles

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

The writings of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis are rich with creativity and intellect, and maintain a strong defense for Christianity. They are models for the Christian apologist through their direct engagement with the world while loving it as Christ did.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Full Issue 1997 (Volume 1)

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

The collected papers presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

The Abolition Of Man: First Principles And Pre-Evangelism (Or "What C.S. Lewis Taught My Brother"), Ted Dorman

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

In his work, The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis expresses a powerful analysis of the modern philosophies of the day. By defending what was deemed subjective and revealing the end point of modern thought, he communicates the Gospel in a way that resonates with unbelievers.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Dorothy L. Sayers: Thinking Passionately, Marjorie Lamp Mead

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

Examines the life of Dorothy Sayers and her perspectives on the relationship between Christianity and reason. Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Some Shattering Simplicity: Suffering, Love, And Faith In The Thought Of C.S. Lewis, Jennifer Woodruff

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

A repeated theme in the works of C.S. Lewis is the tension inherent in why and how we believe and accept Christianity. Christianity makes sense of reality, but at the same time shatters all our expectations of reality. Examining Lewis’s writings about the nature of suffering, faith, and love we learn how this is not a contradiction but a shattering simplicity that reveals the truth about reality.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

C.S. Lewis: Lightbearer In The Shadowlands, Angus Menuge

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

Angus J.L. Menuge discusses editing his book, Lightbearer in the Shadowlands: The Evangelistic Vision of C.S. Lewis.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Unto The End Of The World: Omega Point Eschatology In C.S. Lewis And Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, Chris Smith

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

There are many diverse understandings of the futuristic passages of scriptures and how to interpret their terms and symbols. Two eschatological perspectives on the “Omega Point” (the end of time when God would re-unite the church with himself) can be found in the writings of French Jesuit anthropologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and British Scholar C.S. Lewis.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

The Question Of Biblical Allegory In Tell We Have Faces, David Bedsole

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

In 1956, C.S. Lewis published a retelling of a pagan myth, Till We Have Faces. On the surface one may simply read it as a retelling, but considering his career as a theological author one can see how Till We Have Faces is rich with Christian themes and thought.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

C.S. Lewis And Christian Scholarship, Bruce Edwards

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

While well-loved and known for his profound impact on Christian apologetics, C.S. Lewis also made a mark on the world as a skilled academic. By observing his life one can see that his Christian work and academic work were not distinct, but born from the same desire to follow Christ.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Shadows That Fall: The Immanence Of Heaven In The Fiction Of Lewis And Macdonald, David Manley

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

C.S. Lewis’s view of heaven were shaped by George MacDonald’s fiction. By examining the fiction of of both men we see their vision of heaven, how art imitates heaven, and how heaven shall come to earth.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

George Macdonald's Answer To The Victorian Crises Of Faith, Pamela Jordan

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

Due to the advances in science and new philosophies, the people of the Victorian era faced a crisis of faith and its place in a new scientific era. Like other religious novelists, George MacDonald used his stories to address the theological questions and doubt of the time. This approach is particularly evident in his novel Thomas Wingfold, Curate.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

The Apologetics Of Chesterton And Lewis In A World Marked By Disbelief, Michael R. Smith

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

In an age characterized by meaninglessness and relativeness, arguments once thought to be timeless are challenged by a postmodernism world view that evaluates all ideas as equal and flawed just the same. G.K Chesterton and C.S. Lewis are two sources of authority regularly referenced by current apologists, and provide a variety of logically sound arguments for Christianity.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Tolkien And The Other Inklings, Colin Duriez

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This paper looks at Tolkien’s relationship with the other Inklings, especially Lewis, Williams and Barfield, in particular studying the affinities and differences between them and what Tolkien owes to them. “The Notion Club Papers” is discussed as an idealized portrait of the Inklings.

"The Church Militant" Resurrected: Mythic Elements In George Herbert's The Temple, Darci N. Hill

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Discusses the third movement of George Herbert’s The Temple, “The Church Militant.” Reviews critical reception of the poem, and analyzes how it adapts “Christian myth to the classical epic formulas.”